The Interrelationship Between Time Perspective and Attitude Toward Illness in Individuals with Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU.E/2026.17.2.062Keywords:
person with cancer, time perspective, attitude toward illnessAbstract
Cancer diseases are among the most significant problems in modern medicine and psychology due to their widespread prevalence, severe course, rapid progression, and multifaceted impact on various spheres of human life. A cancer diagnosis is often accompanied by intense psychological stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and changes in perceptions about the future. In this context, the study of attitudes toward illness and time perspective becomes particularly important, as these factors are directly related to the patient’s emotional state, psychological adjustment, quality of life, and processes of meaning-making.
Within the framework of this study, the characteristics of time perspective in individuals with cancer, the forms of attitudes toward illness, and the interrelations between them were examined. In addition, attention was paid to identifying gender differences and analyzing their psychological characteristics. The results of the analysis revealed that there is a relationship between the characteristics of time perspective and the forms of attitudes toward illness among individuals with cancer. At the same time, gender differences were identified both in time perspective and in attitudes toward illness. In particular, men demonstrated a lower level of future orientation and more pronounced anxious and paranoid tendencies in their attitudes toward illness. Women, in contrast, showed stronger future orientation, social activity, and ergopathic attitudes toward illness.
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